This invention relates to protective eyewear for use in sports and the like. The device which is the subject of this application is adapted to provide the prophylactic eye protection of goggles while giving the appearance of light weight, streamlined eye glasses with an unobstructed field of vision.
Many diverse types of sports and other activities of necessity suggest that the participant wear some type of eye protection. Consequently, there are different types of eyeglasses and goggles which are appropriate for each activity. For example, in bad weather snow skiers want eye protection that prevents the penetration of wind, rain, snow, sleet, sand, dirt, dust and peripheral glare into the eyes. In fair weather, the desire for eye protection may be limited to protection against sun glare.
For snow skiing, in the prior art, sunglasses sufficed as eye protection from the sun. Sunglasses were light weight, compact, stylish, easily put on and taken off, and did not obstruct the wearer's field of vision. Sunglasses were attached along the temples, around the ears, and not around the back of the head. Such attachment necessarily required that the frame be at least semi-rigid.
In the prior art protective eyewear goggles were necessary for bad weather. Goggles, however, are large, cumbersome, awkward and difficult to wear. Most skiers, and other sports participants, find this objectionable. Preferable is the unrestraining fit and convenience offered by eye glasses which are lightly retained on the face of the user.
Prior art devices such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,669,229 Cook, U.S. Pat. No. 1,677,747, U.S. Pat. No. 1,936,746 Baker, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,754,694 Neuwirth unsuccessfully attempted to modify eyeglasses to provide all weather goggle-like eye protection while retaining the appearance and advantages of eyeglasses. These prior art devices were fitted with rubber, foam or some other non-rigid substance around the inside perimeter of the eyeglasses in an attempt to form an acceptable seal. However, as the non-rigid material easily deformed, it would not necessarily retain its resiliency and its shape after multiple uses, and would thereby become ineffective after a short period of time. Further, the placement of the non-rigid substance blocked peripheral vision, thereby severely restricting the wearer's field of vision.
Moreover, unlike eyeglasses, goggles are customarily held in place by an elastic or adjustable head band. Goggles use a strap around the wearer's head, as the frame is flexible; goggles do not support temple bars because of their non-rigid frame.
For goggles to create a protective seal, the head band is positioned circumferentially around the back of the wearer's head. The head band is attached, at both ends, to the goggle mask which is bent around the wearer's face. In this manner, goggles provide a larger field of vision and a tight seal against the user's face thereby shielding the user's eyes from the elements.
Although goggles form a shielding seal around the face, goggles are not a preferred form of eyewear; goggles are typically large, non-rigid, bulky, awkward, and uncomfortable to the wearer. These problems are substantially obviated by the present invention, which provides a spectacle like frame with all of the protective benefits of goggles, while not impinging on the wearer's field of vision.